Punishment for Laughter
by leradny
Summary: And even though I've not set eyes on my homeland in many a year, I've still got the desert in me bones.


**Notes: **I do not own the sea chanty _"Hourra Les Filles"_; nor the sea-chanty inspired _"Hoist the Colors"_; nor the Fullmetal Alchemist song _"Bratja",_ or _"Brothers" _for the English translation.  
**  
-  
Punishment for Laughter**

_"L'Arachel."_

_"Yes, Joshua?"_

_"Name this song for me, please?_"

_"..."_

_"..."  
_

_"...Oh! That is an old, veritable ballad reaching back for generations in the Grado Empire, taught mostly to clerics as a soulful reminder of what will happen if one tries the sinfully impossible--raising the dead. It is also sung to children. You did a rather good job with pronunciation, although on the second line one should--"_

_"Can you tell me what it means?"_

_"...Well, no. I was only taught the general meaning of it, but, I suppose a native Grad like Natasha might know. In fact, she __**should,**__ as she's a cleric, and--"_

_"All right, thanks."  
_  
-

Unsurprisingly, Ewan and Amelia enjoy spending time with Garcia and Ross. They like it--Natasha thinks they are attracted to the thought of a solid father figure and people their own age. She knows, in fact, that children are lonely in the absence of their peers, and she can hardly blame the two for spending their precious spare time with Ross--quickly they are becoming an inseparable trio.

"...and even the stupid hat! It makes sense!"

Ewan is getting excited over one of his theories. Ordinarily Natasha would have to figure out exactly _what_ he was talking about, this far into the conversation, but as all three of the youngest warriors glance quickly over to a certain redhead myrmidon with Gerik, Marisa, and Tethys, then start whispering incredulously, Natasha feels that the subject is obvious.

"Ewan, that's stupid. He's Jehannan--have you _seen_ Jehanna lately? They don't _have_ any pirates over there."

"That's _right_, we don't have any there!"

Amelia shrieks and flails a moment before registering Joshua. She clears her throat and replies meekly to the myrmidon, "Hi, Joshua."

_How fast_, Natasha notes. _Even outside of battle._

"Pirates look at our desert-land and balk."

"Why are you talking funny?" Ross asks suddenly.

"And even though I've not set eyes on my homeland in many a year, I've still got the desert in me bones."

There is an incredulous silence. Then Amelia questions timidly, "Does that mean you hate sailing?"

"No. It means I get horribly seasick." It reduces them all to giggling messes. Joshua twirls his sword idly and wanders back to Gerik's troop, where Tethys gives him a bright smile for her brother.

"That's cute. Give us a song, you land-lubber."

"Oh, the king and his men stole the queen from her bed, and bound her in her bones--"

Tethys shivers. "I mean a _real_ song."

"That _is_ a real song."

"I mean a real song that isn't so _sad_."

Joshua pauses and starts singing a song that sounds like L'Arachel's name. "_Hourra les filles à cinq deniers_--"

The dancer smacks him lightly on the shoulder: "Geez, Joshua, where have you _been_? Everywhere?"

"Everywhere," he agrees heartily. "Ten years gives you a lot of time to move."

Gerik shrugs nonchalantly. "That's a Rausten song, though. Pretty far north, but still--give us something from Frelia, or..."

"Or Grado," Joshua settles. "Okay, hang on--this'll take a minute." A coin twiddles across Joshua's fingers, idly yet nimbly. Marisa, wolf-like as usual, watches it with interest as it disappears into his pocket. "_Prosti menya, mladshy brat; ya tak pred toboy vinovat..._"

"..." Natasha perks up. "Oh! I know that song."

"Really?"

"Yes, everyone knows it in Grado. ...Or, everyone _did_, when they were younger. It's usually sung to scare children."

"What does it mean?"

"It means..." Natasha looks down slightly, defeated. "...It is about two brothers who have sinned by attempting to raise the dead. It reminds us of our hopes, and how we should not let them blind us to the truth. We are... so small. Only human."

"..."

"I only know the first and last verses by heart... but... I think I should sing it so that we can all understand."

_"And where do we go from here?  
How can we forget and forgive  
What's gone once is lost for all  
Now all we can do is live."_

-

Joshua isn't fooling anyone.


End file.
